Comcastic Broadband coming by 2018 – up to 10 Gbps

In an article in FierceCable today, Comcast is quoted as preparing to rollout Gigabit broadband to its customers by 2018. Starting at 1 Gbps on DOCSIS 3.1 enabled networks, capable of speeds up to 10 Gbps. The goal is to complete the project within the next 2-3 years.

A top Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA) executive said the company is hoping to upgrade its entire cable network footprint with DOCSIS 3.1 technology within the next two years. The company plans to begin market trials of the technology, which can support maximum speeds of 10 Gpbs, later this year.

Trials are slated to begin later this year according to Comcast CEO Brian Roberts:

In July, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts gave the first concrete detail on the company’s DOCSIS 3.1 rollout. He said the technology “will provide significant added capacity and lay the groundwork for future speed increases for our broadband customers.” He said the company will begin trials of DOCSIS 3.1 in unspecified markets in the fourth quarter of this year.

The story was also tweeted over the weekend by Jeff Baumgartner over at Multichannel News.